The Oracle
by SkullQueenoftheCentury
Summary: Jessamine is an Oracle who has a vision compelling her into the woods. She is shocked to find Slenderman there who whisks her away to his mansion. Once she is accepted into his home, they quickly fall in love. But the Rake is hunting her from twelve years ago when she was six and Slenderman saved her. M for Sexual Content, Language, Alcohol Use, Drug Use, and Violence.
1. Chapter 1

It was midnight when I woke up screaming. A chill runs down my spine from the nightmare, a faint reminder of what will happen. The window is open, billowing thin white curtains from the frigid breeze that wafts into the bedroom. I stand up and pull on a jet black cloak before proceeding downstairs. Once in the kitchen, I grab a flashlight from the cabinet and flee into the night, gliding down a thin dirt pathway that led deep into the forest.

The nightmare was more of a vision, but I don't like thinking of something so frightening as real. I've learned long ago to avoid changing what will happen and simply go along with it. I click on the flashlight and scan the surrounding trees with the beam of light. Something will happen in this forest tonight, but my vision did not tell me anything else. If I hadn't gone into the forest tonight, I would go into it another night, but running from something.

A bat flies down low, fluttering in urgency. I stop dead in my tracks, waiting for some sign from Mother Nature to tell me something is wrong. The breeze has picked up into wind and the noises of critters running around have stopped completely. The surrounding trees appear to be swaying with the sharp, cold wind. I click off my flashlight and throw it to the ground, daring whatever will happen to me to happen now.

Suddenly, a soft noise comes from the west of me, a slight growling. I grow impatient as time ticks by slowly and stomp towards the growl without thinking. Something slithers around my waist, the floor dropping out from beneath me. I yelp and squirm, attempting at wrestling free. Maybe this is my final death, a final release from these horrid visions I have multiple times a month. The cold thing around my waist squeezes tightly, causing me to gasp and to end my fidgeting.

_What are you doing here, child? _The thing says.

I lay my hands on the tentacle around my thin waist. "I had a vision to come here."

The male voice responds, a bit more irritated this time. _What vision?_

"I have visions," I say. "I am what you may call an Oracle."

There is silence for a long time as the tentacle held me firmly. The darkness in front of me clears to reveal the monster. It is evidently a male wearing a crisp suit with fancy shoes. His face is white and completely void of any prominent features, only the outline of high cheekbones, eye sockets, and a mouth. I stand at five foot two and this creature is nearly twice my height with long legs and a long torso.

He mutters something too low for me to hear and then a loud static noise nearly bursts my ear drums. I cry out and shut my eyes to open them to a dark study. Shocked, I look around to see looming bookshelves pinned to the walls everywhere, many old books mixed with very few new books. A couch is planted in the middle of the room and a desk only a few feet from it.

The black tentacle slithers off of me, plopping me onto the overstuffed, leather couch. He walks over to his desk and pulls out a bundle of thick rope with duct tape. I bolt upright and jump off of the couch. He proceeds to slowly step towards me.

_I've always been fond of this neat invention, _he says calmly.

"What are you going to do to me?" I ask hesitantly. "Who even are you?"

One of his black tentacles shoots out and grabs my waist again, pulling me back down on the couch. _My name is Slenderman and I am going to tie you up so I can think clearly so I don't have to be bothered by your constant fidgeting._

As he says this, he reaches out to hold both of my twitching hands in his own. I try to pull away from his long, thin fingers when the loud static noise is back even louder than last time. I scream and curl in on his tentacle, wishing for the pain to go away. When it fades away, I slump against the tentacle and whimper as he draws me into his lap.

_Now hold still or there'll be more of that._

I whimper again, but obey. He winds the rope around my wrists and ankles before putting the duct tape on my mouth. The moonlight filters into the room, creating a seductive scene if it weren't for this creature tying me up. When Slenderman is finished he sets me down on the couch and throws a quilt blanket over me and tucks a fluffy pillow under my head. Almost absentmindedly, he strokes his finger along my jawbone before departing from the room.

Sleep finds me again and pulls me under.

I'm woken up to a bloodcurdling scream. It takes me several moments to realize I am the one screaming and find myself thrashing around on the couch. I shut my mouth against the duct tape and attempt at relaxing my quivering body. My muscles shriek from being still for hours and my neck aches.

It takes me only a mere second to find Slenderman sitting at his desk, bent over a piece of paper. I study the way his sharp shoulders hunch over his paper, as if protecting the contents of it with his towering figure. His large hand handles the thin writing utensil carefully, as if his thin fingers are able to snap it in half at any second. The pen does snap in half, resulting in him cursing colorfully before throwing the pen expertly in the trashcan across the room. He leans back in his chair with his head tilted up to the ceiling. I watch how his chest rises and falls slightly and the tensions evident in his nonexistent face.

At that moment, he sits up suddenly and looks at me. I respond by staring back at him with my wide green eyes. Sighing, he stands up and walks over to me to sit down where my feet are. He seems to relax and stares ahead at the fireplace next to the door.

_If you don't mind my company, I would like to silently sit here with you for a while, _he says quietly.

"Why?" I ask, ignoring his part about silently sitting.

He turns his head towards me. _Oracles and demons like me have a long reputation together and tend to be at ease when close. I've been working ever since you've fallen asleep so I presume I need some rest._

Cautiously, I run my tongue across the duct tape over my mouth and end up tearing through it with my forked tongue. Slenderman watches quietly as I tear the tape from my mouth and close my eyes.

_You too, seem very comfortable with my presence, I see._

I turn my head to the side and struggle to make myself comfortable within the limit of my restraints. As if reading my mind, I feel hesitant hands untying the bonds that hold my wrists together. I flex my hands once they are free and sit up shakily. He takes the rope off from my ankles and stands up to put them back in his desk, watching me from the corner of his eye.

"Where am I?" I croak.

He picks up a glass of water and hands it to me. _I've taken you to my mansion, which holds other residents such as myself._

I take a sip of the water and set it down on the table next to the couch with distaste. Slenderman tilts his head. "I prefer blood over human substances," I explain shyly.

With a chuckle, he grabs the glass cup and spills its contents out the window behind his desk. He hands the cup to one of his tentacles and rolls up his left sleeve, revealing a normal arm laced with dark blue veins. His fingernail sharpens and he cuts a clean incision across his inner arm, spilling black blood into the cup. I watch in confusion as his wound heals and he tilts the cup towards me. I stand up and walk over to where he his to take it from him and put my lips to the cup. Hesitantly, I take a sip and am filled with utter pleasure of his exquisite blood type. Without any more distractions, I gulp down the rest of the drink and shudder as it makes its way through my veins.

_Is that all you consume?_

Startled, I become aware of his presence and blush at his amused tone. "Um, yes and no. I tend to only drink blood but I can also have alcohol, coffee, and tree sap."

He nods and takes the cup from me to set it down on his organized desk. _I know we have just met, but would you like to stay here, miss?_

I close my eyes and try to see if this is what my spirit wants. The spirit does not intend to guide me so I answer the pleadings of my heart. When I open my eyes, I look up at Slenderman who is only a foot away from me. "Yes, I would love to stay here."

_What is your name, then?_

"My name is Jessamine," I say.

_Welcome home, Jessamine._


	2. Chapter 2

The tour of the mansion nearly took a whole hour until it ended with me standing in the middle of a bedroom to call my own. I stand alone, facing a wall length mirror. My ebony hair is knotted all the down to my bottom, my cheeks flushed from not drinking enough, my almond-shaped eyes bright green, and my small body unsure of what to do in my nightgown. I decide to take a bath first and rummage through the mahogany wardrobe to find a cream colored skirt, a white blouse, and regular white flats. Sighing, I find no undergarments big enough for my bosom and find a very unappealing bottom that would only be described as a discarded piece of cloth.

I find the bathroom well enough and knock before entering. No one seems to be inside and I freeze when I see no bathtub, but a large pool meant for bathing like the Romans. I shut the door behind me and find no lock so I proceed to remove my clothing at the farthest end of the pool. I slip into the warm water and find that the pool is smooth black marble chipped away in uneven dents and lumps. Settling in, I lean against the side and close my eyes.

Moments later, I wake up with a jolt. Blush colors my cheeks brightly from the impending vision that will no doubt, soon happen. I cover my face with my small hands and pant with embarrassment. In the vision I had been kissing Slenderman with passion and he had actually responded back with the same willingness. I do not know if he had started the kiss or me, but I hope it was just a false vision.

"Ben?"

The voice echoes throughout the cavernous room, making me shrink against the side of the pool which made the water stir. Footsteps thump on the slick floor, nearing me.

"I better not see you in here with Jane again, Ben," the male voice says with warning. "I still haven't forgotten what I had seen. I still have nightmares."

I dive into the water when the footsteps come closer. With my eyes open underwater, I swim to the door and jump out, snatching a white robe from a rack and running out of the room. I hold the thin material to my body and walk slowly to my room, my heart hammering. Who was that? What will they do when they find my clothing near the pool? Surely they will just assume it is that girl's named Jane.

Deep in thought, I do not notice my surroundings until I feel resistance to my walking. I freeze and look up to see a boy with a bleached face and shaggy black hair. His mouth was cut into a big smile and his eyelids looked burnt away. I gasp and tighten the robe around me while backing up, noticing that I had skipped my room.

"So Slendy got a new proxy, huh?" the boy says tauntingly as he takes a step forward.

I take another step back and glance behind me. Just as I was about to look back at him, he lunges at me and slams me into the ground. I yelp and struggle against his weight on top of me. He laughs a high pitched laugh and I hear a zipper going down.

"You're a pretty thing, aren't you? I'll have fun playing with you."

Gasping, I cry out Slenderman's name and find him standing behind the boy, his tentacles waving behind him. One shoots out at the boy and catches him around his ankle. The boy yells obscenities and pulls out a large knife. I lurch forward and grab his wrist, ignoring the breeze that hits my chest. He yanks his hand back and slices down at me, cutting from my collarbone to the tops of my breasts.

Slenderman growls and throws the boy down the spiraling stairs. He kneels down in front of me and removes the hand that covers the gash. I squeeze my eyes shut and let his fingers lightly skim the wound, considering if it is lethal or not. My bottom lip quivers in embarrassment and I keep my head down, not wanting to show weakness. A finger lifts my chin up so I was forced to look up at Slenderman.

_Why do you cry? Does it hurt a lot? _He tilts his head.

I shake my head and wipe my eyes. "I'm sorry," I say in a quavering voice.

Before he could respond, I stand up and pull my robe tightly around me and run to my room where I weep with complete embarrassment. There is a knock on my door, but I ignore it until it goes away. Even on my first day in this new mansion I somehow screw up and show the tops of my fully developed breasts to two men. It's not like it was full on, but it was too much cleavage for me to be comfortable with. I shake violently as I pull on a white nightgown and pull on one of the skimpy panties. The large bed looks so appealing that I cannot resist to curl up into a ball and pull the thick blankets well over my head.

It's been five days since I have left my room after that little incident. I use the sink in my restroom to wash away the tear stains and end up bathing myself with the bar of soap. Not only were my highly red cheeks showing my need to feed, but also the veins in my neck had turned a very dark shade of blue and many of my teeth had grown sharp. I dress in jeans and a violet sweater, sure to make it impossible to show anything inappropriate.

Reluctantly, I slip out of my room and head downstairs. No one seemed to be awake yet since it was three in the morning so I run outside in search of tree sap. I walk past numerous dry trees and only find one tree with sap in it, although the taste was bitter. Finally giving up around six, I head back to the mansion and sneak into the kitchen. I feel my nails sharpen instantly and was about to drag them across my arm when a familiar hand closed around my wrist.

I keep my eyes trained on the hand and refuse to look up. Even as a finger tries to lift my head, I turn my head the other way. With a sigh, Slenderman gives up on me looking at him and walks away. I feel a burning in the backs of my eyes and bite my lip to keep from sobbing. Blood drips from my bottom lip and I try to avoid getting the liquid in my mouth without success. I cough in agony and run over to the sink where contents of blood I had drunken in the last week spills down the drain. I weakly cling to the counter and feel a reassuring hand rubbing my back. When I'm finished, I slump against his chest and he sets me down in a chair where a glass of black blood awaits me.

Without pausing, I swallow the blood instantly and lay my head down on the dining room table. Slenderman takes the cup and cleans it before setting it back into the cabinet. I watch him moving around the kitchen, preparing breakfast for the rest of the residents of the mansion.

_How are you feeling today? I haven't seen you since five days ago._

I sit up and stare down at my hands in my lap. "I'm fine."

Although he was aiming for more than just two words. _What have you been up to since I last saw you?_

"Just been reading and sleeping, I guess," I mumble.

He appears next to me and cups my face in his hands. I stare where his eyes should've been. _I don't want you to disappear that long again, is that clear? I expect to see you every day, at every dinner, at every breakfast, and at every meeting that goes on in this home._

I blink and nod. He nods back and resumes making dinner. I sit there and trace patterns on the dark table, wishing for my sketchpad back from my home. A husky saunters into the room and it takes me a moment to notice that it has human teeth stretched into a grin. It sits down by Slenderman and waits patiently until he throws down a piece of bacon.

Next to come were two boys both dressed in orange hoodies, but one had two glowing red orbs for eyes and a frown while the other one has a mask with two black eyes and lips. I watch as they both shuffle to their seats and slump forward onto the table.

_Where are the rest? _Slenderman asks after he sets down two plates for the boys.

The one boy with the mask glances at me and back at Slenderman. "Jeff stayed out too late last night killing, Ben is still playing video games, Jane is at her boyfriend's house, Sally said she's sleeping in, Eyeless Jack says he has some kidneys to keep him full, and Laughing Jack says he has candy to keep him full."

Slenderman nods. _Would this have anything to do with them avoiding Jessamine?_

The boy shrugs. "Maybe . . ."

_Honestly, this mansion needs more discipline, _Slender mutters and pats the dog on his head.

"I'm Masky, by the way," the boy who had talked says.

"I-I'm Hoodie," the other boy says with glowing red orbs.

"Nice to meet you," I say quietly and go back to tracing patterns on the table.

Masky leans forward, demanding my attention. "Slendy says you might need blood when you come out of your room. I could take you down to a neighborhood near us to get some?"

I cringe and wrinkle my nose. "The blood must be given willingly or else it'll just poison me until I die. Same thing happens if I drink my own blood."

He nods and rests his head in his hands. "Is there anything else you might need?"

"I'll definitely need some decent undergarments," I say hesitantly.

He laughs at this. "Yeah, those were the undergarments Jane had bought and never used because they 'weren't her style.' I'll buy you some with Hoodie."

Nodding, I nibble on my lip, avoiding cutting it this time. I think about taking a bath, but the thought of being caught again made me shake my head slightly. Masky notices this.

"Why are you shaking your head?"

I pucker my lips and stare down at the table. "Just contemplating whether to take a bath or not. That's all."

"I can guard the door for you, if you want," he offers kindly.

My lips thin and my eyes narrow as I study him. "I don't think I know you well enough to do that."

_Jessamine is very sensitive with trusting people with her body, _Slenderman says from behind me.

I look back to see him resting his forearms on the back of my chair and his head just inches from mine. I blush and look away, muttering vile oaths underneath my breath about lack of privacy.

Masky shrugs. "Well, do you really trust anyone here with that?"

Slenderman, I think, but do not dare say that. I feel his arms behind me tense as I think this and wonder if he can read minds. "I guess not," I lie.

The husky from before puts his front paws onto my lap and looks up at me. Masky chuckles. "I think Smile Dog wants you to pick him to guard the door."

I look down at the dog and notice the thick muscles underneath the fine fur. "I don't know . . ."

"We don't support beast ology here," Masky says with a snicker.

Blushing, I nod and pat Smile Dog on the head. "I guess you're my new guard dog."


	3. Chapter 3

He barks and bounces out of the room. I stand up and follow him, feeling the stares on my back as I leave. Before I enter the baths, I grab some more skimpy underwear. When I'm in the baths finally, Smile Dog can be heard through the door growling the whole entire time. I relax and wash myself quickly before getting dressed and walking out to scratch behind his ear. He rubs his head into my hand and walks off down the hall.

I decide to take a walk in the woods since I was still thirsty and needed tree sap. It was only thirty minutes into my walking without finding any good trees when I feel a presence. I turn to see Slenderman leaning against a tree, watching me intently.

"I'm guessing your killing style is to stalk the victim, am I right?" I say.

He shrugs. _Don't worry; you are not one of those victims, dear Jessamine._

"Dang," I say with a playful tone. "I guess I'll have to piss you off in some way."

What looks like a smile forms on his blank face. A tentacle wraps around my waist and draws me closer to him until I'm pressed against his chest. _I don't think you could anger me in such a way I'll have to kill you._

"How would you kill me?" I whisper, my hands playing with his flat black tie.

A slit I presumed was a mouth formed on his face, showing a row of sharp teeth. _I would hold you tightly, _he says as he grabs my face with his hands. _Then I would be sure to run my hands down your arms and waist to appreciate you. _He demonstrates very clearly, making me shiver. _And then I would taste the fear of you._ He bends his head towards my neck and I feel his tongue slither along my neck.

I moan and cling to him, tugging and pulling his face towards mine. He finally tilts his head down towards mine and our lips meet. Since it's my first kiss, I let him lead me. His hands come up to place my arms around his neck and pull my body flush against his. I gently bite down on his bottom lip and draw blood. He presses his lips more firmly against mine, pouring his blood into my mouth. I suck on his lip and moan again at the sweet taste of it. His arms skim over my shoulders and down to my waist where his tentacle squeezed lightly. I get an idea and pull a hand away to rub the tentacle. He shudders and groans against my lips.

Just as his hand started to travel up my stomach, leaves crunched loudly from a few yards away. I start to step away, but he wraps his arm around my shoulder and keeps his throbbing tentacle around my hips as well. We wait for the source of the noise to make its way to us.

Masky appears and freezes when he sees Slender with his arm and tentacle around me. "Um, Jeff came home and is a little . . . intoxicated." He speaks hesitantly.

Slender sighs and pulls away from me. _I'll sort it out_. He turns to me_. I expect you well fed when you come back._ And then he leaves with Masky by his side.

Blinking rapidly, I touch my lips and stand there like a total love-struck idiot. After a few moments, I find myself walking through the forest again, occasionally drinking for trees. When I feel my stomach becoming full, I head home.

There was loud yelling and banging going on before I enter the mansion. Jeff was on top of an elfish looking boy who was hitting him with a remote controller. Slenderman was covering his face in disgust while Masky had a little girl on his back. The girl had long blond hair and dried blood coming down her big blue eyes. The elf Jeff was on looked like a replica of Link from the video game, but had red eyes with black sockets and blood dripping down his eyes.

Slender notices me coming in and teleports in front of me. _I see you've fed._

"Well, that was my intention when I went into the forest before you . . ." I trail off with a blush.

He chuckles and slithers a tentacle around my waist, drawing me closer. _Until I ended up entertaining you for a bit?_

Before I could respond with a stuttered response, Jeff brings out a knife and sees me. He glares and kicks the elf boy away to advance on me. Slender would have none of that and tried to slap the knife out of his hand. But Jeff somehow managed to be quick enough and threw the knife at me. I dodge and it hits the door behind me, right next to where my head was.

"Ah, hell," Masky murmurs under his breath and walks into the kitchen with the girl still on his back.

Slenderman gave a low growl emanating from the center of his chest as he towered over Jeff. Jeff folds his arms and looks around, pretending someone else had thrown the knife that nearly ended my life. He soon realizes that his plan wouldn't work and tries to make a run for it. Of course, Slender catches him up in his tentacle and growls a few words at Jeff before sending him flying into a room that was under the stairs. His tentacle slammed the door and locked it, trapping Jeff in it.

_Sorry about that, _he says with regret in his voice.

I cuddle up to his chest and lay my head on him. "It's okay. No harm done."

Something seems to come back to him. _How is your wound doing from five days ago?_

I stiffen in his arms and draw away, looking down at the ground anxiously. "I think it's fine. It's not infected or anything of the sort."

He tilts his head. _May I have a look, though? Just to make sure that it is indeed not infected._

I shrug and begin walking upstairs. He follows with his tentacle still around my waist. When we get to my bedroom with the door firmly shut, I stand still, waiting for Slender to do something. He moves forward and pulls down the front of my sweater with one finger, examining the wound up close. Heat flares in my cheeks as he traces the cut lightly.

_You're correct, it's not infected, _he says huskily.

Shivering, I shrink away from his touch and pull my sweater up. He places a hand on my cheek and bends down to kiss me gently. I kiss back with my hands on his suit, playing with the sides of it. We somehow end up on the ground with me in his lap and his suit jacket off. His white sleeves are pulled up to his elbows as he kisses me deeply and soothingly, almost speaking a language of pleading. We kiss and kiss until my lips hurt and my body is humming with warmth and safety.

Finally in my bed, we both are on our sides, our feet tangled together. His hands are knotted in my hair, his kisses slow and reassuring. He makes no move to do anything but kiss, the gentleman he is. The light from outside brightens into the afternoon and that is when he pulls away, rubbing my cheekbone gently.

_I must prepare lunch for the others, _he says quite ruefully.

"Okay," I say in a small voice. "I'll be down in a minute."

He kisses my forehead and leaves the room, leaving me to my thoughts. I stand up and stretch, popping and pulling my muscles. There were shopping bags everywhere, though I had not noticed them when I had entered the room with Slenderman. I look inside one and blush deeply. The lingerie Masky had bought me looked like a stripper's undergarments. I look inside another bag and relax slightly, finding a more suitable match for me. Inside each bag were different styles and I end up picking just white cotton. After I put my clothes back on, I put them away, hiding away the seductive ones in the back of a drawer.

I leave the room and head into the kitchen where I find a boy in a blue mask, Masky, Hoodie, and the little girl sitting at the dining table, but Jeff and Slenderman are missing. "Where's Slenderman?" I ask Masky, who is currently eating a large sandwich with just about everything in it.

He pulls his mask back down over his lips before responding. "He said he had to talk to Jeff and do some paperwork regarding what happened today."

"Who will read the paperwork?"

"Our boss," a boy with a blue mask and two black eyes dripping an odd black substance. "Slenderman handles all the paperwork of our killing and has to report on everything that happened every day in depth."

I chew on my lip. "When you say everything, do you really mean _everything_?"

He nods. "Our boss likes to know if we're getting distracted in our work and whether or not to keep us."

Blushing, I sit down next to Masky and across from the boy. "Do you guys get paid or something for working?"

"We get paid with safety from the outside world, which is everything to us."

The little girl from earlier jumps up on her chair next to the boy. "And so Daddy can buy me new toys every week!"

I blink and turn to Masky. "Who's 'Daddy?'"

"She calls Slenderman that a lot," he says through a mouthful of turkey sandwich.

"I'm Sally!" the girl says energetically. "And this Eyeless Jack." She hugs the boy with the blue mask around the neck. "He's the BEST brother in the WHOLE world!"

"Hi, Sally," I say and smile kindly at her. "My name is Jessamine."

She giggles. "You seem nicer than Jane. I like you."

I smile and reach out a hand to her. "Well, it's nice to meet such a charming young lady like yourself, Sally."

"I know, right!" She takes my hand does a little curtsy. With big blue eyes, she clasps her tiny hands together, as if begging. "Will you play with me?"

"I would love that."

Nearly dancing out of her pink dress, she takes my hand again and leads me out of the kitchen and into what must be her bedroom. "That's our home right there," she says, pointing to a little toy version of the mansion in the corner.

She shows me all of the residents that Slenderman made for her, along with the mansion. Almost every room was her favorite because she said she loved talking to everybody, except Jeff and Jane. Smile Dog also guarded the door for her every time she took a bath and would even play dress up with her, although he was grumpy most of the time when she dressed him up. Ben would play a lot of video games with her, even though he would beat her in every game because she was only eight years-old. Jeff would try to bring her on some of his killing sprees, but she would get scared of the blood and run back home. Laughing Jack would give her a bunch of candy and Eyeless Jack would read to her at night. Masky carries her around whenever she wants and Hoodie makes her cheesecake with strawberries on top for a treat. Slenderman tucks her in sometimes and teaches her how to read.

"And here is you," she says and shows me a doll that looks exactly like me. "Daddy made it for me yesterday when he said you would be staying with us."

I smile and take the doll in my hands, carefully examining it. He got the full lips and big green eyes right, and just about everything else. I was wearing a slim black dress with a wedding veil over my face. Colorful flowers were placed on my hands.

"Why am I wearing a wedding dress?" I ask her.

She grins, her top two teeth missing. "I was just in the middle of Daddy and your wedding!"

Blushing deeply, I set the doll down. "Why don't we play with your castle set for now?"

Shrugging, she crawls over to it and tells me what's going on at the moment. I listen only partly and remember how the feel of Slenderman's lips felt against mine. Nonetheless, I play with Sally as the dazzling queen and her as the innocent princess. We play for about an hour until she starts getting tired. I tuck her in her bed for her nap and leave the room when she falls asleep.

Having nothing to do, I find myself walking to the study. I knock twice and the door opens to reveal Slender bent over a stack of paper. He looks up when I enter and his tentacle that opened the door closes the door.

_Hello, Jessamine, _he says and leans back in his chair. _What have you been up to?_

I sit down on the edge of his desk and play with a pencil. "I talked a bit with the others and played with Sally for a bit. She's taking her nap now."

He smiles and pulls me into his lap. _When I'm done with this paperwork, we can go continue enjoying ourselves if you want._

I nod quickly and can't help myself, but lean in to him. His lips brush against mine before parting them. A tentacle wraps around my waist and another cradles my head so his hands can linger on my face. I've never known how addicting kissing could be, until now.

He pulls away. _You are such a distraction, dear Jessamine._

"Good," I say and give him another kiss on the lips.

I pull away this time and go sit down on the couch, waiting for him to finish his paperwork. He seems to write quickly, skimming the pen over the papers in loops. Closing my eyes, I rest my head on the back of the couch and let myself daydream for a bit.

In my daydream, it was just Slenderman and me, kissing and cuddling on my bed. He pressed all my little buttons and I kiss him back harder, practically rolling in pleasure. Suddenly, something dark and looming became visible in the corner of the room. I furrow my eyebrows and watch it approach Slenderman and me, still kissing and not noticing. The thing lunges, not at the kissing couple, but at me.


	4. Chapter 4

I sit up rigidly, gasping for air. Something was horribly wrong, because I hadn't made that shadow appear in the dream. I notice Slenderman watching me intently, with a worry line forming on his forehead. Standing up shakily, I go to the door.

"Um, I'm gonna go take a bath, okay?" I say in a shaky voice.

He tilts his head, but nods. _I'll be in your bedroom by the time you get out._

Smile Dog is already positioned outside the bathroom door, waiting for me. He barks happily and lets me enter. I curl up in the warm water once I'm undressed, unable to stop shivering. Smile Dog starts whining outside after a long time of me being in the bath, so I finally get dressed and walk over to my bedroom.

I find Slenderman sitting at the edge of my bed, waiting. He holds out his arms, but I walk past them and crawl onto the bed and under the covers. The bed shifts and he's lying with me, his arms and tentacles wrapping around me like a safe cocoon.

_Do you want to tell me what happened in the office? _He says.

"I was just daydreaming," I begin and correct myself. "I was daydreaming about . . . kissing you and then . . ." I shiver and his extra appendages tighten. "Something attacked me spiritually."

He stiffens. _Can you describe what the being looked like?_

"It was just a looming shadow. The weird thing about it is that it didn't attack what I was imagining, it was attacking straight at _me_."

Before he could say anything else, I force my mind to falter and fall asleep.

I wake up with the moonlight creating silver bars across my bed. I try to sit up, but am held down by something wrapped around me. It takes me several seconds to realize that Slenderman is still in my bed and is sleeping beside me. Smiling slightly, I entertain myself with tracing where the indent of his mouth was. A small slit appeared, forming a mouth with razor sharp teeth. I lean forward and place a kiss on the mouth. It reacts back and catches my mouth before I could escape.

Closing my eyes, I wrap my arms around him and lick his lips with the tip of my tongue. His tentacles loosen and he groans when I rub one of them. I draw away from his lips and kiss the appendage, licking where I kiss. He groans louder and longer, huffing and puffing. Suddenly, he grunts and sighs in relief. I freeze and look at him. His mouth was gone again and there was a slight satisfied smile. Horrified, I look down at his pants and back up at him. Did I just really make him . . . cum?

"Sorry," I whisper and poke his shoulder.

He mumbles in his sleep and turns over. I shake his shoulder this time, but he just swats my hand away. Sucking in a breath, I slap him in the face, not so softly either. He comes around and looks over at me in shock.

_What?_ He says breathily.

"Um, sorry," I say quietly and point down at his pants.

It takes him a moment to understand and when he does, he stands up and runs into the restroom. I sit there while he adjusts himself and look over at the time. It was midnight. I walk over to my wardrobe and pick out a silky V-neck nightgown. I slip into it and throw my dirty clothes into a hamper in the corner of the room.

When he walks back out with an ashamed look, he pauses. "What?" I say curiously.

_Don't move, _he says slowly.

My body tenses and I disobey him immediately. I look behind me quickly and gasp. A large shadow was positioned on the pillows of my bed, watching me. Carefully, I step back from it and towards Slenderman. It lunges at me with a snarl and I'm suddenly on the ground with the thing on top of me. The long nails of the thing cut into my shoulders, making me cry out. Slenderman appears and kicks the thing off of me, propelling it out the window, shattering the glass everywhere.

_Jessamine! Are you okay? _His worried voice brings me back to the surface of reality.

"I need blood," I mumble through my teeth.

He sheds his white button-up shirt off and presses his shoulder to my mouth. I sniff around until I find the sweet spot and sink my teeth into his soft skin. Blood spills into my mouth, making me shudder. The wounds on my shoulder cease to hurt. He wraps his arms around me and places me gently into his lap, rocking me back and forth like a baby. That's when I realize I'm shivering and clinging onto to him.

_At least now we know who it is that's messing with you, Jessamine, _he says.

"Who?" I had stopped drinking and started licking the teeth mark.

He picks me up and lays me down on the bed. _The Rake has many victims that had escaped him once before because he constantly enters my forest._

"I don't ever remember seeing him before, though," I counter.

_Maybe you were just a baby and it was your parents that escaped him with you._

"Possibly . . ."

We sit in silence for a while longer until I stand up. "I'm going to just take a bath," I mumble.

_Smile Dog is asleep right now, though._ His voice is full of worry and concern.

"I guess you'll have to come with me, then," I say and walk out of the room.

Slenderman walks beside me, his hand enclosing mine. We walk into the baths and I go into the far corner where I strip off my clothing. It's far too dark to see Slenderman doing the same thing. I slip into the warm water and curl up on the side. A tentacle slithers around my waist and an arm wraps around my shoulder. I nuzzle up to him and hug my hands against my chest.

"What should we do until everybody wakes up?" I ask.

He kisses my neck. _We can try to forget about the Rake._

"Hm, that does sound rather appealing," I murmur.

His hands lift me up just below my breasts and set me down on his lap. _I don't normally sleep with women after seven days of knowing them, but you have always been different, huh?_

Blushing, I bend my head down and nuzzle against his neck. "So you know what you're doing, right?"

Chuckling, he runs his hands down my thighs and up to my waist over and over again. _I've been alive for as long as the human race has begun, so yes, I know what I am doing._

"Show me, rather than explain to me then," I whisper.

He pulls me underneath him, kissing my neck softly. I grip his shoulders and wonder how to do this. My instincts have deserted me and only my thoughts accompany on this journey of discovery. His hands slide across my body, finding newfangled places of my body. Questions pound against my mind, unable to find a reasonable answer. Where do I put my knees? What's okay and what's not? How do I please him without actually making him crazy?

_Jessamine, _he whispers. I open my eyes and see him staring down at me. _I'll help you through this, alright?_

Nodding, I let him pull my face to his, our lips tasting each other. His hands place mine on the back of his head and he moves my knees either side of his hips. I gasp when I feel something warm and rigid against my lower abdomen. He places his hands on my hips, digging his thumbs into the juncture of them. When I gasp this time, he takes advantage and slips his tongue into my mouth. We don't battle for dominance, but dance erotically.

As I groan and whimper from his soft caresses, he does the unexpected and sticks his finger inside of me. I stiffen and feel him pull out, his middle finger dripping with my fluids. He kisses my lips once more before lowering his hips towards my opening.

_This will hurt, my dear, but not much if I go slowly, _he warns.

"Will you go slow?" I request with a quivering tone, my slight hands gripping his resilient shoulders.

He gives a shaky chuckle. _I don't know._

And then he's inside of me. I cringe and cry out in pain, his size much bigger than my small opening. He's still sliding in slowly, the pain increasing to a burning. His whole frame shakes to go slow and not to crush me with his strength. He stops once he's all the way in and breathes shallowly on my neck, grunting in pleasure. I wait until the burning leaves to squeeze his shoulders.

Once he begins moving, I gasp. Exquisite desire floods my body as he gently thrusts in and out of me. I bring his lips to mine and start our dance again. In mere minutes we're sweating from our activity and making animalistic noises. He keeps a rhythmic pace, gripping the bath edge to resist pounding into me. I feel the pleasure building up inside of me and warmth pooling in my stomach. Slenderman gives three more thrusts for me after he climaxes. I gasp and let out a groan when I have my first rippling orgasm.


	5. Chapter 5

**Jessamine POV:**

After a long dash for over ten miles from the mansion, I fall to my knees and sip a bit of sap from a nearby tree. The taste is dry and bitter, but will have to do with the blood I am burning off fast. I glance back behind me and start off walking this time. Keeping my ears acute, I hear only the sounds of small critters trying to escape a predator. But a critter could not break a branch like that . . .

I whip around to come face to face with a lovely looking woman. Her curves were almost nonexistent, but her flawless skin would be able to draw any man near. A black dress clung to her thin body, almost creating spandex-like look. Her eyes were pitch black all the way around without a hint of a pupil anywhere.

"Hello there," she says in a musical voice. "My name is Jane. Slendy might have mentioned me from time to time, though I wouldn't be surprised if Jeff hadn't."

She takes a step forward and I take a step back. Her full lips spread into a maniacal grin. "You want to know how I became like this? I fell in love with the wrong man." A glint in her solid black eyes makes me take another step back. "And so have you, honey."

I don't step away in time when she lunges with a knife in her hand. A spark of annoyance surges through me and I feel my tails shoot out to meet her head. She does not know that I have tails and is caught off guard when I hit her. Having a dozen tails hit you full on is similar to having your head hit against a wall repeatedly. She instantly falls unconscious.

Over the course of several hours running through the forest, I end up knocking out Laughing Jack, Eyeless Jack, Ben, and sadly Smiley. I almost smile at how I am fully capable of beating people who I don't even know their strategy. My urge to smile is replaced by an urge to scream.

A shimmer of metal and a lash of pain across my neck causes me to falter in my running. It strikes out again to slash at my legs and shoulders, leaving no part of my body untouched. I whip around to see Jeff advancing on me with a sadistic look in his burned eyes. He lunges at me, knocking me to the ground, my head feeling as if it was split open.

"I would love to play with you," he says next to my ear, "but we can easily be found in the middle of the woods."

I struggle against his weight on me, but it was useless: he had me pinned. I do the only thing I could and spit in his bleached white face. Growling, he points the knife on my left hand and twirls it into the ground like trying to light a fire with a stick. I scream and scream until he has completely mangled my dominate hand, bone and muscle visible now. He laughs at my screams.

"Maybe we can have fun for a little while," he whispers softly in my ear.

He grabs Slender's borrowed shirt and lifts it up to reveal my crotch area. Suddenly, I hear something whistling by my ear. Before I can even blink, a rock the size of my hand hits Jeff in the jaw. He falls unconscious on top of me, all of his weight pressing my back into pebbles.

"Jessamine!"

Masky and Hoodie come barreling out of the forest, loaded up with plenty of rocks. Hoodie collapses on the ground, panting from running in a hoodie and jeans. Masky averts his eyes while I fixate myself to look appropriate.

"Why did you leave?" he says once I'm done.

I stand up and grip Jeff's knife in my right hand. "I-I don't belong with you guys. I belong in the forest and-and Slenderm-man probably doesn't even like me."

He steps towards me and pulls me to his chest, hugging me tightly. "Slenderman hasn't loved anyone for hundreds of centuries, Jess. He lets nobody into his room unless it's an emergency and the most of us haven't even seen him with his socks off."

"Most of you?" I ask skeptically, tears running down my cheeks.

Stepping away, he rubs the back of his head. "Well, Hoodie and I had rushed into his bedroom after his bellow and he wasn't even trying to conceal himself one bit."

Anger surges up into me once more, directed at me. Why am I delaying this? I did not spend hours running in the woods just to be delayed by Masky or Hoodie! I'm going to need to end this. Now.

I step forward and lift his mask up a bit to kiss his cheek. A light brush of blush sweeps over his cheeks and I do the same to Hoodie. "Thank you, guys," I say and step back. "I'm so sorry I have to do this."

They tilt their heads to the side when they suddenly become still. Hoodie sees Masky swaying on his feet and catches him when he falls. He is next to become unconscious and lands on Masky. The poison from my kiss will only last half an hour, so I better get going.

My hand fills with sharp pain and my sight becomes blurry as I run. I had almost forgotten that Jeff had mangled my left hand beyond repair and that I must be losing blood, fast. Cursing under my breath, I push on harder and sprint for the next hour.

I come across a thin stream and walk alongside it until it opens up to a huge lake. I dip my head in and then my whole body. The cold water helps my burning body, my lungs pumping for air. An idea comes to mind and I decide to slip off the cloak and shirt to completely bathe in the water. Tiny grass tickles the bottoms of my feet as I step further into the water, relishing in the feeling of something sliding over my skin.

My tranquility is interrupted with a loud, familiar static noise. I wrestle to shore and fall down when the water is at my hips, screaming a bloodcurdling scream. The static stops and I quickly slip on the shirt and the cloak, sprinting farther into the forest. That was my big mistake. He had already been standing there, watching me as I bathed from across the lake. I did not know if he knew it was me, but I hope with all my might that he won't kill me on sight.

_Wanderer of my woods. _I freeze on the bank of the lake, his voice sending a shock through my shivering body. When did it get so frigid? His voice is furiously deadly with every drop of venom in it.

_You have entered my domain, mortal. And for that, you shall pay the price._

My cry of protest is interrupted when one of his tentacles grabs my ankles and yanks me towards him. I hold his borrowed shirt up, blushing madly as my cloak falls to the forest floor. His face sends a spark of something through my heart-pain? Or is it hope? My view of him is cut off and I splash into the lake.

Did he really just drop me? I rub my head and stay seated where I am on the bank. Slenderman falls to his knees and grabs my face in his hands, as gentle as always.

_Why did you leave me, my Jessamine? _His voice is heartbroken and shatters mine as well.

I burst into wracking sobs and hug him to me, my mangled hand dangling by my side. "I did-didn't me-mean to give I-it up!"

He strokes my face and leans his forehead against mine. _I am so dearly sorry, dear. I did not think at the time and only thought of myself. But was it really necessary to run off into my woods?_

By then, I had slowed my sobs. "I feel like I don't belong in that mansion," I say with a trembling voice. "Only Sally and Smiley really like me and Masky only talks to me to be nice. And . . ." I bury my face in his shoulder. "I didn't want to bring the Rake to you guys."

His arms tighten around me and pull me up into his arms. _The Rake will never touch you._

That's when I pass out.

**Slenderman's POV:**

She falls unconscious in my arms just as the rest appear. Most of my proxies are glowering at her body while the rest look concerned for her. I demand they go back home and grab Eyeless Jack by the arm, teleporting to the emergency room in the mansion.

_She's badly hurt, _I say and lay her down on the metal table.

"So am I, man," Jack mumbles under his breath but gets to work.

It takes all of my restraint not to hurl myself at him as he cuts her clothes off, not that she had much on. I suck in a sharp breath when I see how bruised and bloodied her battered body really is. Multiple slashes were still bleeding steadily and her lift hand was just a mangled mess of flesh and venison. The veins in that arm were dark with blood poisoning and possibly infection.

"I'm going to have to cut it off," Jack says after a moment of studying it with his long fingers. "Make sure she doesn't wake up."

I take my role behind her, holding her head with my hands and concentrating on keeping her asleep. Jack pulls out a thin, long knife and puts a rubber band just where her shoulder ends. He gives me a nod through his blue mask and starts sawing. Jessamine's mind explodes with pain and I cry out, our connected minds stronger together than I thought. Jack doesn't glance up from his work and is sawing through the bone with a special tool before going back to the knife. He quickly wraps it up with clean gauze and has me keep it firmly pressed on to stop the bleeding.

Jack works in silence and deep concentration for an hour, double checking for infections in the deeper cuts and bandaging the smaller ones. Only once did she wake up screaming when he poured disinfectant on her shoulder. He stuck a shot in her other arm and she went back to sleep quick enough.

After the whole surgery, I teleport both of us to my bedroom and go off in search of some clothes for her since everybody knows not to enter my bedroom without knocking. I snatch a few gowns and undergarments, barely glancing at what my hands were doing. Why didn't she simply wake me up and tell me? Or she could have said no to our activity in the baths. Pain still pumps in my dead heart from the thought of losing her forever. I was not going to lose her again.

**Jessamine's POV:**

Visions of me being in a bloodied medical room have been haunting my mind. Pain flows through my body as I sleep. I wake up screaming bloody murder. Arms wrap around me and I fall against the hard chest the arms belong to.

_Jessamine, _Slenderman whispers against my head.

I whimper and go limp in his arms. "I'm not supposed to be here."

He pulls my face towards him and kisses me on the cheek. _You belong in my mansion, with me and the others._

Tears trickle down my cheeks. "He'll come and hurt you, though."

_That will never happen, my dear._

"How do you know that?" My voice was starting to become louder. "He knows I'm here and will do anything to get to me! When you're trying to protect me, he'll kill you! He'll kill everybody in this household just to prove a point of what he can do!"

My heart was pumping extremely fast and I started to feel faint. Slenderman seemed to be saying something because he was staring at me, but I couldn't hear anything. I fall into the darkness of sleep.

I wake again to the sounds of struggle. My eyes slowly open and I struggle to sit up to see Masky, Hoodie, Ben, and Eyeless Jack carrying a bath tub in front of my bed. Ben seemed to be having the most problems since he was slight compared to the rest and Masky easily carried the tub.

"Um, what the hell is this for?" I mutter.

They all turn to me slowly. Jack ushers them outside and smacks Masky on the head when he denies. "How are you feeling, Jessamine?" Jack questions very carefully, stepping towards me slowly.

"I'm fine," I say and try to pull the covers off with my left hand.

My left arm was gone.

"What the fuck!" I scream and turn my rage towards Jack, my fox tails already swarming around me.

He holds up his hands and stops creeping forwards. "I had to cut the whole arm off in order to save your life, Jess. It was obvious at first that half of your arm would have to go, but then I noticed there was blood poisoning in your whole arm, heading straight to your heart. I'm sorry, but it had to be done."

Panting, I poke the stump of my shoulder and wince when a dull ache comes. "It hurts," I whine.

"Here." He slips something from his back and opens a long black box.

When he opens it, it reveals a skeletal arm. I run my fingers over it and lift it up. It weighed almost nothing and there was even a hidden compartment in the elbow where a knife sheath was.

"Thank you," I murmur.

"No problem," he says as he helps me put it on. "I put some dark magic in it so you can move it as if it were a part of you. You just can't . . . feel it."

I move the arm around a bit and turn out surprised that it acts like a normal arm. "Jack . . ." I trail off. He sits down at the edge of the bed, patiently waiting for me to continue. I get up the courage and look away. "Does everybody in this mansion kill?"

Seeming to consider this, he tilts his head, sliding his blue mask to the side to show him smiling with razor sharp teeth. "Ben and I don't kill, actually. Sally just stays inside all day unless Slender decides to take her for a walk or something. I just take a kidney and Ben drives his victims to insanity."

"Who are Slenderman's proxies?" With Slenderman not being able to listen in, I can ask any questions about him. I did sleep with him after all, I deserve some answers.

Eyeless Jack glances to the dark corner of the room once, cautiously. "Masky, Hoodie, and Toby are Slender's proxies. The rest of us just take refuge here."

Nodding, I feel as if someone's staring at me. I look back at the dark corner of the room, but look back at Jack, who stood up. "Where are you going?"

"I have to tend to some . . . specimens in the basement. I'll be back to check up on your wounds," he says and backs up out of the room.

Rolling my shoulders, I examine the skeletal arm attached to me once more. It's as if it is my old one, though I cannot feel anything from it. Pursing my lips, I observe the room, realizing that it's not mine but actually is Slender's bedroom. With my heart beating, I stand up and attempt to lift my gown over my head when an extreme pain flares inside my left shoulder. Breathing heavily, I almost decide to shred the gown off when a knock comes to the door.

"Come in," I respond in a shaking voice.

Eyeless Jack walks back in, his hand rubbing the back of his head. "I forgot you weren't going to be able to take the gown off without some assistance."

I let him walk behind me, placing his hands on the ends of the gown, ready to shuck it off. "Where is Slenderman?" I ask.

He pauses for a moment and then proceeds to carefully lift the gown above my head. "He's out for a walk in the forest."

"You're lying."

The gown slips over my head and EJ folds them onto the bed edge. "The man has his reasons for not wanting anyone to know his whereabouts."

"Where is he, Jack?" I ask again, an edge to my voice.

Sighing heavily, he folds his arms. "You're in an unstable condition, Jessamine, and the first time you saw him today made you pass out-I won't recommend seeing him until you are stable enough." He coughs awkwardly and points down at my body. "You're able to discard the rest of your clothing, right?"

Blushing, I look down at myself and see that whoever dressed me has an embarrassing taste: a black lace bra pushes my breasts up and a black lace pantie hugs my butt nicely. Making a small noise, I look around for anything to cover myself with. I had been so relaxed with him that I had not realized I had let him pull the gown over my head.

"Don't worry, Jessamine," he says quietly. "I keep my outside interests away from my profession."

Before I could respond, he leaves the room. I shake my head and reach with my good hand to undo the bra clasp. After several defeats, I manage somehow and get rid of the panties. The warm water of the bath has chilled since the boys have brought it in and now I sit in the tub, shaking ever so slightly, but not wanting to get out.

My fox tails have folded back into me and now I feel the start of the thirst coming on. I become aware that another heart is beating in the room. I lean back in the tub and look to my left where the unusually dark corner resides.

"I won't faint again, Slenderman," I murmur softly.


	6. Chapter 6

It takes a moment for him to come out. He wears his usual dark suit which is as spotless as always. I tense up when he is only a foot away from the bath, perfectly clear that the bathtub water is completely see-through. Trying to be as discreet as possible, I fold my knees over my breasts.

He kneels down and rests his forearms across the bathtub rim. _I thought you would finally be comfortable around me with your body after we had sex, _he says with a dark chuckle.

"Never," I say softly.

His head moves to the side ever so slightly, towards my bone arm. _What happened to your hand, Jessamine?_

My lips thin. "I tripped over a rock and got it ripped up by other sharp rocks."

_Cut the bullshit, Jessamine._

"I'm serious."

_So am I, darling, _he presses. His fingers slide lightly over my collarbone. _I want to know who did this to you so it won't happen again._

"I don't want to split this household apart," I whisper and run my small hand along his cheekbone.

His breathing becomes shallow as he leans closer to me, his lips skimming over mine. _I don't want to hurt you, my dear, _he mutters, his hands coming up to cup my face. _I-I don't really know the extent to your injuries, but I can't help myself marveling at your beauty._

"Slenderman," I whisper against his lips. "You can never hurt me. You just remind me I can feel."

He hesitates at advancing so I press my lips to his. My hand reaches up to tug on his tie, deepening the kiss. His thumbs stroke my cheekbones as if he was handling fragile glass. He stretches his left arm over to grip the side of the bathtub while his other hand grips the other side. Encaged, I start unbuttoning his suit and then his dress shirt. I run my real hand down his solid abdomen and pause at his zipper.

Just as he starts to pull away when he senses my distraught, I tug on his tie. "I won't run away this time, I promise, Slenderman," I whisper intensely. "Though . . . I don't think my body is capable of any extreme activities."

Chuckling, he leaves a trail of kisses down my neck. _I have something new we can try, my dear._

Biting my lip, I nod and gasp when his mouth lands on my nipple. Groaning, I clutch his shoulders, quivering at the sensation. He suckles my breast for a few more minutes before giving my other one the same kind of treatment. I hadn't noticed his hand creeping farther and farther down my body until I felt his finger enter me. At first, all I could feel down there was an odd probing. Then came the pleasure. I arch my back, Slenderman's mouth filling with my breast and his finger entering deeper inside of me.

He inserts another finger and another. His lengthy black tongue slithers across my breasts, gently adding pressure. With all the noise I'm making, I wouldn't be surprised if one of the inhabitants filed a complaint. Three fingers turns into his whole fist, pumping in and out of me. I press my fingernails into his back, feeling the skin ripping and thin trickles of blood running down his spine.

_Here, _he purrs, pressing his shoulder to my mouth.

I bite down and suck on the bite, blood filling my mouth. He groans and pumps faster into me. I'm unable to continue feeding off of him and scream when I climax. All of the recent tension on my shoulders finally leaves and I am left with utter ecstasy. Panting, I lay my head back against the bathtub that I had sunken farther into, my body limp. Slenderman washes his hand and pulls me out, a towel wrapped around me.

"Aw, my poor Slenderman," I drawl.

_It can't be helped, _he murmurs, almost sounding ashamed.

Giggling, I reach down and feel the hard bump through his slacks. He grunts and grabs my wrist stiffly. Smiling mischievously, I lead him to the bed to help him relax, too.

I wake up with his arm around my waist and my head on his other arm. Ever so carefully, I sit up with only throbbing pains radiating through my body. One specific pain made me blush, remembrance of what happened last night between Slenderman and me. It was the first time he went rough on me and my body still wasn't so used to it.

Standing up and stretching, I pull on Slender's pajama pants and huge pajama shirt. I shuffle down the stairs quietly since it was early morning and made it to the kitchen without being detected. I begin making coffee and toast.

"Good morning, Jessamine."

Startled from the voice, I jump and turn to the entrance of the kitchen to see Masky. He also wears his ruffled pajamas and his light brown hair in disarray. After an awkward silence, he takes a seat at the dinner table and kicks up his feet.

"Masky," I murmur quietly. He looks up at me. "Have you . . . have you told Slenderman about what you saw between Jeff and me?"

He shakes his head slowly. "I haven't gotten the chance to, no. Why?"

Swallowing, I bite the insides of my cheeks. "Just don't tell him about it, please. He doesn't need to know about something so irrelevant."

"Irrelevant?!"

Shocked from his outburst, I give a miniscule nod. "It can be overlooked."

He stands up abruptly with obvious anger. "He was going to rape you!" he snarls. "He mangled your hand enough to cause you to lose your arm!"

I stare at the tiled floor, blush flaring my cheeks. "I just don't want to make any enemies while I'm here."

Shaking his head, Masky sits back down in his chair and folds his arms, his feet back on the table. "Jane probably hates you."

"Why?"

"Well, for one, you beat her in a fight and two, you have an actual relationship in this manor, though she doesn't."

Her words from last night still echo quietly in my mind. I start pouring the coffee and glance over at Masky. "Who did Jane fall in love with?"

He chuckles. "When she first came here, Jeff was still on his killing spree before he ever came into the mansion. She was lonely, looking for the one she loved, but never finding him. Finally, when Slenderman found Jeff and showed him into the mansion, she ran up to hug him. She thought he gave her a gift of immortality when he killed her. No, he responded much differently than she expected. He tried to slaughter her in the living room unsuccessfully since Slenderman and I were there to intervene. She went to his room every night, still. He had enough of her prodding into his life so he kissed her and left for a few days. She was waiting for him to come back when she realized her parents' deaths were caused by him. That ended her crazy fantasy of being with him."

"Oh," was all I could say.

I set down two mugs of black coffee on the table and stack toast on a plate with butter. He bites off pieces and takes sips of the coffee, not really hungry. How could someone love Jeff? Why didn't he rape her like he almost did to me? When I saw her in the woods, she was obviously more beautiful than me.

"What were you up to last night?" Masky says, nonchalantly.

Blushing madly, I shift in my chair and look everywhere but Masky. "I, um, just took a bath and slept."

"Nice pajamas," he says as if he's smiling behind his mask.

"Shut up," I mutter and bow my head in embarrassment.

Slenderman chooses that moment to walk into the kitchen wearing his pristine suit. Where his mouth should be appears a small slit which smiles broadly. He makes his way over to the coffee and pours himself a cup before kissing me on the forehead gently. Masky coughs awkwardly and stuffs toast down his throat.

_Good morning_, Slenderman says warmly and leans against the counter to my left._ I like those pajamas, Jessamine._

Groaning, I put my head in my arms on the table. Someone shuffles in and pauses. I look up to see Ben giving Slenderman an odd look and then grabbing a microwavable breakfast to eat. Masky starts a conversation with Ben and Slender joins in as well. I keep my eyes on Ben, observing how he makes awkward movements while around Slenderman. What's he up to?

"Jeff is locked in the quiet room, Slender," Ben notes. "I thought you would want him there since what he did last night."

Confused, Slenderman tilts his head down at him. _I don't know what you are talking about, Ben._

Ben's eyes widen. "Jessamine didn't tell you? Jeff-"

I laugh, trying to soften the atmosphere. Slenderman turns to me with an odd aura and Masky stares down at the table. "Ben, I don't know what you're talking about. I hadn't encountered Jeff since a few days ago."

Narrowing his eyes, Ben is cut off when Sally skips into the kitchen. "She's lying," she sings and skips around to Slenderman to hug his leg. "She's lying to you."

Masky stands up and picks Sally up under her arms to put her on his back. "This is adult talk, Princess. I think we should go play with your dolls while they talk."

"Yay!" she exclaims and hops on his shoulders, knocking the breath out of him as they leave.

_What is she talking about, Jessamine? _Slenderman inquires breathlessly.

Oh no, he must think I've cheated on him with Jeff. "It's not what you think, Slend-"

_Then tell me! _He shouts with his fists balled.

Ben backs up with his eyes darting back and forth between Slenderman and me. "Jeff tried to rape her in the forest and mangled her hand."

All at once, the anger from Slenderman disappears and a dangerous silence follows. I stare down at the table, my stomach clenched and my hands gripping the table edge. My eyes close shut.

A hand rests on my shoulder and I look up to see Slender. "I'm sorry for not telling you," I say and fiddle with my hands.

_He's going to pay, I promise, Jessamine, _he declares.

"No," I whisper. "I don't want to split the household up. I'll just have to stay away from him for now."

_Jessamine, _he utters. _Jeff is a psychotic killer who stops at nothing to get what he wants. I'll have to file a report to Zalgo and tell him I'm getting rid of Jeff._

"Fine," I mutter and stand up from the table. "I'm going for a walk in the woods."

Almost immediately, he nods and pushes my chair in. "I'll come with you, then."

Sighing mentally, I go to my bedroom with him trailing behind me. He closes the door behind him for privacy and sits rigid on the corner of my bed. After a minute, I find a nice solid black turtleneck, tight dark jeans, and tall dark brown boots. Slender's eyes are on me the whole time as I dress, probably remembering last night. _I'm still on a tight rope_, I warn myself. _Just because he showed his adoration for you last night does not mean you are forgiven._

We are strolling out in the middle of the woods within minutes. His hand encases mine, my skeleton arm clicking as I sway it. The icy breeze cuts through my thin clothing, causing me to shiver. Slenderman sheds his jacket and places it on my shoulders. I relish in the warmth of the warmth and lean into him. He wraps his long arm around my shoulders.

"About that time when I ran away . . ." I murmur.

He guides us to a large rock where he sets me down in his crossed legs. _I understand, Jessamine. You were too afraid of rejection from me and then having to live your whole life in the mansion, seeing me every day as if I was regret, and even the thought of losing your virginity to someone who didn't like you severely hurt you._

Blinking, I nod and rest my head on his chest. "I was raised to never be seduced when handling my flower unless married or in a strong relationship."

_So I can seduce you now since we're in a strong relationship? _he purrs against my ear playfully.

Shaking my head, I sit up straighter. "When did you realize you liked me?"

He slides us to the bottom of the large rock and parts his legs so that I was in the middle of them. _When I tied you up. You wouldn't even stop fidgeting in your sleep. _He chuckles. _I love watching your dreams while you sleep. It puts me in a trance, sort of. Some of your dreams may not be peaceful, but they hold a certain type of tranquility within them._

"You can read minds?" I inquire, shocked and a bit embarrassed.

_Yes. It was quite interesting to watch you think about us, but difficult to respond to you with those thoughts of yours in my head._

Rolling my eyes, I lean my head against his chest, glad for the time alone we have in the woods. We stay like this for what seems like hours, but really only a few minutes. He has his extensive arms around me, providing warmth in the frigid air. Do I really want this for my life? Or do I want to continue my path on becoming an artist? I shake my head and stare in front of me.

Slenderman's whole body tenses behind me. I keep my eyes on the looming shadow watching us in the trees as Slenderman slowly positions himself in front of me in a defensive stance. Crouching, I feel my fluffy tails slide out from my back and summon thick tree roots to circle around my wrists, ready to propel me up.

The tense atmosphere explodes when Slenderman speaks. _The Rake._


End file.
